WikiLeaks? Rajapaksas Can Keep Cool, Unless…

President Rajapaksa’s London visit with his historic second address before the Oxford University Student Union handled by the London based Bell-Pottinger group’s PR outfit, in a bid to boost his rusty international image, ran into massive “war crimes” protests from Heathrow Airport to Oxford, compelling the Oxford Student Union to cancel the oration on December 2, “on security reasons”. The cancellation ruffled the Presidential confidence so much, they allowed an employee with Bell-Pottinger, to release their official statement, through her private e-mail address.

Julian Assange

With that, the Colombo urbanites were busy checking on any possible arrest, as happened to former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet in London. But President Rajapaksa’s trip though private, was with British assurances that he would not be treated ‘Pinochet style’. Britain by now has committed itself to the Israeli government to amend the law and would not allow another ‘Tzipi Livni’ to occur. So that stands good enough for Rajapaksa too. But all of it is not what makes Sri Lanka important. It’s WikiLeaks.
The latest WikiLeaks downpour on November 28 has Sri Lanka again on the international media scene. A total of 3,325 ‘dip cables’ leaked this time, have Sri Lanka tagged on mostly internal governance and external relations and Milliband reported to have spent over 60% of his Foreign Ministry time on pre and post war Lanka, including war crimes committed.
WikiLeaks lives on controversy. In the past, they leaked Guantánamo Bay procedures, documents belonging to Church of Scientology, contents of Sarah Palin’s e-mail account and internet censorship lists. They leaked a US Apache heli attack on Reuters’ journalists in Iraq and then came back this year with 77,000 Pentagon dossiers on the Afghan war and over 390,000 US field reports by soldiers deployed for war in Iraq. They promise more ‘leaks’ to come, including a Pentagon cover up on a murder and a big leak on a private bank.
Making more enemies than friends, this time they have knotted up the whole world through 274 US embassies spread across the globe that since 1998 sent 251,287 diplomatic cables to the US State Department, 15,652 of them as ‘classified’. A week earlier on 22nd, WikiLeaks on Twitter said, “The coming months will see a new world, where global history is redefined. Keep us strong”. They have certainly created history, but, would its impact be positive ?
Certainly not, on this planet Earth. All these WikiLeaks’ open dumps instead of making other big powers raise eye brows over how the US diplomats call them, have all ganged up to condemn Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks, in very clear and strong words. They’ve all come to talk the same language as President Rajapaksa, though not in exact terms. For Rajapaksa, his war against the LTTE, was waged to save the ‘motherland’ and its ‘territorial integrity’. Mobilising the world against WikiLeaks, for Hillary Clinton, it is an ‘attack on the US and the world’ and the leaks ‘endanger innocent people’. For Japan, its a ‘criminal’ act. Britain said it’s ‘damaging to national security.’ France said it was an ‘attack on states’ sovereignty.’ NATO called it ‘dangerous and illegal’.
When Rajapaksa said he would not compromise while waging war, is what all of them now finally agree as ‘safeguarding national security’ in many different words. This national security tag seems to gel all regimes more firmer than ‘global terrorism’. With such galloping international unity over ‘national security’, US is called upon to prosecute WikiLeaks for its ‘unlawful access’ to confidential state information. Ms. Palin wants Assange and his WikiLeaks treated as a ‘terrorists’ and a ‘terrorist organisation’.
The shrinking global space for Assange, now wanted by Interpol with charges of rape in Sweden, denied by Assange as fabricated, was seen when Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa retracted his Deputy Foreign Minister Kintto Lucas’s earlier offer of asylum for Assange, in Ecuador.
The media in the powerful big world, is also divided. The prestigious Financial Times in a lead said “In order for states to conduct their affairs effectively, and ensure the security of their citizens, some secrets must remain”. ‘Their affairs’ and how much damage others should bear for security of ‘their citizens’ remain undefined. The French ‘left of centre’ daily Libération editor believes, “a state cannot permanently operate under the constant gaze of opinion” in this conflict ridden world. It’s the states’ right for covert activity, he accepts, as with Israel and in Sri Lanka.
All of it in the war against the LTTE, led to human rights violations, media bashing, arbitrary arrests, abductions, disappearances, extra judicial killings, in fact most things a modern civilised society can not afford to accept and live with. Now after WikiLeaks’ dumps, how different is the US and its allies in NATO, to that of Rajapaksa regime, to be left off the hook ?
US killings of Reuters workers cannot be less indecent than the killing of Lasantha, S.S. Rajan or Sampath Lakmal. US Drone attacks on Afghan civilians cannot be less inhuman than claims on hundreds of Sri Lankan Air Force sorties that bombed Tamil civilians. From Abu Ghraib to Guantanamo, nothing could be competitively far more worse in Sri Lanka. All US administrations from Harry S.Truman in 1950 to Johnson in 1963, to Bush and now Obama, with all others in between, have had the license to violate all international laws outside their United 54 States, in the name of “national security” with other big powers pitching in unhesitatingly.
‘National security’ for the US and its allies, is the collective use of economic, military and political power, sprinkled with diplomacy as in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Myanmar, as in Sri Lanka, ‘national security’ is waging war against its own citizens, with tacit support from international players. In India, the (single largest) democratic government, is using lethal fire power, obnoxious laws and defunct and corrupt legal systems against the seven north-east states and J&K, also in the name of ‘national security’. For Israel, national security is threatened by Palestinians they lambast and the Rajapaksa regime opted to reiterate its support, just a week ago.
What ‘national security’ means in real life to those millions, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Burma and Sri Lankan Tamils who are still victims of a brutal war, is plain terror unleashed on them by a state, for its regime to survive with any or all violations of laws, human rights of citizens and at the extreme, even their devastated lives. Within this ‘national security’ there are NO PEOPLE to talk about.
These armed conflicts dragged on in the name of ‘national security’, whether they are explained the Rajapaksa way or not, is big business for big whales and small sprats. According to SIPRI, a Swedish peace research institute, before the Sri Lankan war concluded, there were 17 major conflicts in 2009, across the world.
The SIPRI Year Book 2010 published in July, summarises the arms manufacture by big powers including the US as follows. [quote] “In 2008 the world’s 100 largest arms-producing companies (outside China) maintained the upward trend in their arms sales, which increased by $39 billion to reach $385 billion. While companies headquartered in the United States again dominated the SIPRI Top 100, for the first time a non-US headquartered company registered the highest level of arms sales — BAE Systems of the United Kingdom.” [unquote]
For ‘national security’ of the regime and for small sprats, next year has LKR 214 billion for defence, at the expense of the tax payer. In both parts of the world rich and poor, what would these regimes live on, in the absence of defence budgets and arms business ? The UN that was brought to oversee global peace and development in every post WWII society, is a non entity, accused of corruption and nepotism.
Where are we heading now? Possibly a new world where the international voice against violations of laws and crimes committed on humanity cannot be any more selective as they were, during pre WikiLeaks dumps. Now they would have to challenge their own “democratic” states in the first world who fund them on social conscience. But will they? After Iraqi and Afghan ‘leaks’, no one asked for independent international investigations into any of the crimes committed in Iraq and in Afghanistan by the US and NATO forces. It was selective lobbying by these international watchdog organisations.
Today they have yet another option. Treat Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka the way Obama and the US is treated. For Rajapaksa, that would be cool, though his PR show in London failed for now with Tamil Diaspora protests. For now what could be written on the wall is, more lobbying for justice, fair play and above all human decency for deprived and devastated Tamil society would be a distant pray, unless people here honour their own responsibility of establishing a noble land of decency for all, as equals.

Fancy Janz, I do not think he is just barking, maybe you are. You do not want the truth to come out. That is your problem. Look what happened to your war hero SF who was jailed by a fool who ran away to the U.S. and managed a convenience store and presently the defense secy. How is that anyone with a fair bit of sense can predict what the outcome in the SL Judicial system when it involves the GOSL. Get your facts right before you spew some garbage out of your mouth. Enough said. Look around you if you are living in SL and see how many people are without food when this MR family is drowning in stolen money.

there was no violations in srilanka, the war was against LTTE terrorists not against innocent tamil civilians they ar our friends and we all srilankans. tamil people who were in LTTE former governed areas now have a breath of relief and their lives are developing without a fear and they are rebuilding their life hoods after being in fear for almost 30 years due to terrorism by LTTE. government give them new infrastructure in a very pace. main roads, houses, development projects for the area ect…and specially peace in mind for them to rebuild their lifes which was destroyed for 30 years by LTTE terrorist for a useless cause. it’s sad the international community just get the wrong information through money driven international media not the write information from the source(you may hav seen wikileaks reveal about US) . that is where the wikileaks comes in they reveal the correct information that we glad they did so where as all the other international big names media gave the false information. that is why we srilanka eagerly waiting for wikileaks reveals without fear and more we need to know what kind of conspiracy the international community did against us while we were trying to defeat terrorism. god bless you raj.

You may roar and declare that the tamils are now enjoying their lives in the war affected areas, where the army is in full control.
How do you know? By reading the Daily news, may be.
If this is the truth, why is the Govt. prohibiting independent obsevers and media to go there and confirm?

Majority of Tamils like and want to live in peace under one country that is Sri Lanka. There are few like you chellaah who lives in UK or other countries needs Tamil Ealm on the cost of innocent poor people from Jafna or East. We as a whole would like to make a suggestion please usk and Make a Tamil Ealam in UK or in Tamil Naud, but Not in Sri Lanka, No more

Listen Roar you know how your gorverment looked after on JVP, your people, we Tamils know how much love would have given by army, in the final war, If you think amy was really fighting the LTTE what is the C4 video has to do with LTTE, if you really wants to protect your loving amy then say so , but don’t justify by saying is there no other country doing this and that, simply baberisum is baberisum.

Proof of atrocities, crimes and racist acts committed by Rajapakse, his brothers and the GOSL are now in the open. These criminals have lost all respect and honour in the international arena. India must be very ashamed to have aided the war criminal in such hideous crimes of the Tamil people.

Hei Raj.. still you are in LKG level only ya.. sorry to say that.
Everybody knows how India took part in the brutal killing of thousands of innocents and how India supported sri lanka by voting against the move by the world human rights commission.

Correct! Then more will be revealed like who supported the LTTE. What Briton and US done for LTTE and all that! And links between SF and US! Thats why these media crooks upset! We live freely without feat today cos the government denied the “rights” of terrorists and their supporters including the media! Its not a surptice these have forgoten we were fighting the ruthless nazi style terrorists supported by the west!

Pathum, remember the LTTE was never elected officials but a creation by the successive SL govts. But the GOSL was elected or they stole the votes from the bloody UNP run by the clown RW. I am a Tamil but even the Tamils are represented by jokers. LTTE was a menace, I agree, So were the SL Forces and the Government. Who cares how the LTTE got their support. We care what happened with the Govt in power.

Thank you Mr Kusal Perera.
This whole issue really does open many questions about decency of societies, openness in the global order, fairness, legality, limits of legal sanction, equity and legitimate proportionality of armed retaliation by States, political structures, both national and international, etc.
It will be interesting to follow how the fallout will be handled.
Will the exposure of the more powerful, and more hypocrtical, by extension, help redeem the less powerful, but equally culpable? Or will it necessitate any meaningful restrictions and ‘governance’ over the arms industry and access to their use? Even remotely, will it lead to an international call for the greater need for mediation and other peaceful and honourable remedies to ethnic and similar conflicts?
The peaceful and peace-loving of this world, and those who even passingly know the operation/s of the universal law of causation, will know that redemption by default does not operate to redeem the unwholesomeness of those who have had to wield power violently.
In the present state of knowledge, it is certainly not popular to give up on power when one is faced with the inability to win over a dissentient group without the use of force. But it is the very false bravado and braggadochio of ‘elected’ powers that be, that is being questioned, and ridiculed by this whole wikileaks affair.
May all the people focus more on peace within, and amongst people, and how to bring such training into mainstream ‘education.’

Rajapakse regime targetting independent jounalists while US or NATO did not do that.

Thousands of Tamils were raped, tortured, extra-judicial killings, disappeared whithout any investigation including 17 French Charity workers and 5 Students cold blooded murder in Trincomalee. US or NATO did not do at this level.

Now the Videos of crimes are real testimony of Sinhala racist and brutal Rajapakse regime that is in power. India has collaborated with Sri Lanka in commiting these crimes.

Tamils Diaspora becomes more and more powerful and demand for War crimes and justice will continue to haunt the Rajapakse’s regime members.

dear raj,
May be you haven’t been to colombo , south or may be sri lanka, we sinhalese never been racist. we always think one nation and one race thats sri lankans no sinhalese, tamils or muslims. sometimes tamils always been rasist.

Banuka, Be realistic, there are rasists in all ethnics Sinhalese, Muslims, Tamils and Christians. But the numbers are few and unfortunately they are in politics or thugs in those areas. We have to identify them and eleminate them, Majority of all ethnics are good human being.

dear
-Shiva -Panduka-Raj
we are really living together with happy life.we are not thinking Sinhalese or Tamil. we together doing the best to rebuild our land.please do not get wrong with any body we are now peace,no more way no more LTTE. PLEASE AND PLEASE PLEASE dont make our life wost again.we are having every things together no more conflict.please do not make any bad to our life back please.

who ever what ever -wiki leak is telling not the way of true.we have to have peace full mind .we has to have understand each other.give the solution .make us happy .
no body knows how we went though with war time.please dont create again that kind of war in sri lanka. we are love sri lankan Tamil .they are our brothers and sisters.we are ,their brothers. why ? we are against or why ?” we are getting untrue stories.
wish -all the Sri Lankans together.
wikileak-please be honest and make our life better.do”t do drama with innocent (our) life

dear Tamil brothers and sisters
as every one knows -how difficulties went through during the war. now-we are doing well doing better without any conflict,
mas media==what ever -writing,=====what ever sawing==== we should not get wrong idea.we know and we understood each other very well.
we has to proud sri lanka .now we are free. no mo war.
we will rebuild our land and we are not listing mas media and other country advice, we has our knowledge to get done our development.
wikileak -do not think you can not do anything for us.we are together.dont try to do miserable stories .

When you defeat your enemy in battle, its natural for the fallen enemy to cry “genocide, war-crimes, etc.” – because its their only salvation left. In today’s context related to Sri Lanka, the Tamil diaspora – who are actually the power behind the Tamil terrorism, cries in the same manner. If that is the case, I think there should be war crime investigations against the Allied forces for defeating Hitler during the Second World War and for defeating Saddam Hussein for his occupation of Kuwait.

In Sri Lanka there was far more than just wikiLeaks. Videos from the Wanni are all over the internet! Why is there so much panic about wikiLeaks? Assange has shown that the internet is far mightier than the sword. It only needs one leaker and an Assange to do the job of exposing the truth. Why then are governments so scared?

Very true. Present Indian Govt. is corrupt unlike in the time of Nehru
and Indra Ghandi. It was hijacked by a foreign lady of disputable qualifications,
who is in control of corrupt politicians.
Very soon they will realise what folly they did, in contributing to the war.

It is not a news to from Wikileak to say India Coloborated with Sri lanka to win the war. We all know that india, China, Pakistn, even Britain colloborated with Sri Lanka. They are also responsible for HR violations

The videos showing the atrocities and crimes committed by the GOSL have been authenticated as true by everyone except by those who committed the crimes. Every international organization and countries have voiced support for the UN to conduct a, impartial investigation on the war crimes and report on the actual ground situation in the Tamil areas. The Sri Lankan govt, for their own reasons refused to allow it. If the GOSL has not committed a single crime as they say, why are they not allowing a UN organized investigation into the war crimes. The leadership has lost all respect and dignity.

People are not Happy with the Rehabilitation. They think the Riots can rise again. if not handled in a serious manner. Forced Sinhala Settlement make the things worse. Properties are being taken over by the government too. Still People are going missing. Which are not reported publicly. Too Many Ministers who wnats to rob the people but not to serve them. The Weak Opposition gets the things going not any better. Overall People are suffering.

We have Sinhalese friends, many of our relatives and friends are married to the Sinhalese. We are not against the Sinhalese but against criminal, undemocratic and power greedy politicians. Sinhalese politicians have proved that they do not derserve independence from the British.

But the Sinhala racist, chavunist, barbarian politicians and the Monks made this mockery. Tamils live all over the world peacefully and Tamil is an Official Language in Singapore.

Sinhalese politicians do deserve to end up at the ICC to face War crimes charges. When Journalist Lasantha was murdered, we too join the condemnation of the Rajapakse regime.

Good Sinhalese should join democratic forces and challenge racist, criminal, barbaric and power greedy Rajapakse regime.

Rajapakse now can’t visit any Western nations as he can be arrested for war crimes.

comments and opinions ae democratic way of complaing the society at large their opnonions as they seemed fit. some are complaints the politicians must watch and act. the role of army in civilised society stay help siciety at large in all states provinces. if locall there in selected area now that is quiet a thing society should condemn.

Dear All,
All will come to an end when you learn to forgive and forget and not to involve in any retaliation acts. We, humans in general are weak vessels and we committ mistakes and no one is perfect. Forget about the past and think about the present “how reconciliation can be effected as immediately as possible.” Sincere repentance and not to dig further and hurt others should be the key. Yes, you may proclaim the damage is done, and what is the recompense of the victims? Nation as a whole is in turmoil because of the past acts. Direct victims and indirect victims, are suffering greatly. Only reconciliation of man to man is the best solution, yes, It’s very hard, but has to be done, unconditionally if at all to avoid FURTHER DAMAGE. Damage is done, yes, but it’s in our hands to block before further damages to happen. This is my humble opinion. Turn to God and ask for forgiveness and wisdom . It is possible. What is impossible with man, it is absolutely possible with God:)

“…..on hundreds of Sri Lankan Air Force sorties that bombed Tamil civilians”. Hah.. where on hundreds of sorties?? Can Mr. Kusal give at least give facts on 20 such sorties. This is a challenege where I standby. You tiger proxies just as their claim of over 40,000 civilian deaths in final days will keep on repeating lies to become a fact. Wikileak handlers are professional that they expose facts but not distort things and lies just like you.. you try at least to lie professionally.

Kusal’s writings are fine as long as he give any suggestion how we could have ended the war in Sri Lanka without causing all that human suffering to both Sri Lanka government troops and LTTE cadres. The fact that LTTE was a terror outfit hell bent to challenge democratically elected government of Sri Lanka seems to have been forgotten by the writer. All the weapons and ammunition unearthed in the LTTE controlled areas perhaps was sufficient even to overrun Tamil Nadu is conveniently kept out of focus. The various NGO including Red Cross who worked in those areas never ever gave a clue what was going on, due to their own involvement. The enormous amount of resources used to build structures for warfare, the equipment and the training went on to it was kept under cover by these so called humanitarian organizations.
The problem with US is not what they are doing in Iraq or Afghanistan, but their foul mouth of talking something else to other countries. When LTTE forcibly moved Tamils from Jaffna to Wanni was never considered a human rights violation by the pundits including the writer. Chasing Muslims and Sinhalese from Jaffna with 24 hour notice was worse than American 48Hr notice given to Saddam Husain. Then it was LTTE who forcibly took the civilians with them to provide them a human shield to continue to engage in their traditional atrocities. The writer should have explained the military outfits around the world how they could have reached the terrorists under such conditions.

One day the sri lankan cruel people will be punished. that too in a brutal manner.
They should be punished. How cruel they are mentally. Now only China entered into sri lanka. Sri lankans will be taught a lesson by the chinese. That day is not too far.

No matter what happens, bottom line we have peace. Some may ask at what cost? yes probably at the cost of few lives. We had suffered enough in the hands of LTTE. we should be greatful MR for getting rid of these blood suckers. the problem is the people seems to forget the past. the number of attacks on innocent people? have u guys forgtton all these. Today we can go rigth upto point pedro without any gun fire been heard. I am telling you the expat tamils first visit Srio lanka and tthen talk. Dont even thinbk of ellam any more. That is gone with the wind. Learn to live in harmony with the sinhalese. like we muslim do. take a leaf from us.

Dear all (specialy the Tamil Diaspora!)
No one can deny that SL is the only country which eliminated a ruthless,facist,blood thirsty terrorist oufit (LTTE),Tamil diaspora who now cries of war crimes by GOSL,is equally responsible for war crimes,commited against all SL citizens (Sinhalese,Tamil,Muslim,Burger etc:), by financing the LTTE, to buy arms & ammunition to kill people,be it Armed forces, or civilians, what is sad is they are still blinded by hatered,and cry for more blood shed!! Where are you going brother & sister? What will you achiev? Ask your own concious! Follow the advice of Lord Jesus & save yourself!!

only solution for tamil people is ellam.in the past we have a seprate kingdom . it is very difficult to live with singalese. see the channel four video how many our innocent children murderd in a cold blood.

well, the conclusion by SL govt. against civil war can be appreciated. But the violation against the Tamil civilians was almost proven. Unless the immediate pressure or actions re not taken by the world powers the violations may be continued. If it continues several organizations against the SL govn. will arise and it is only the govn. that creates caste or creed conflicts but not the people. so SL govn. is solely responsible for everything whether its good or bad. Hope the democratism in SL survives further for centuries.

No one complained when the “LTTE” were killing innocent civilians,bombing public transport and killing monks for no reason the war has stopped and everyone can live without fear without worrying about when the next bomb will blast,just shut up and go on with your lives if you don’t like Sri Lanka just get out and people overseas you have no idea what it was like in our country for 30 years so shut up and talk about your own countries messed up problems.